Roundabouts and traffic circles

A roundabout is a circular intersection where traffic moves counterclockwise around a center island. Drivers entering a roundabout must slow down and yield to traffic already in it.

Entering and driving through

• Slow down as you approach and get into the correct lane well before the intersection. Lane use signs show which lanes serve which turns.
• Yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to bicyclists before you enter.
• At the yield line, look left and enter when there is an adequate gap. Vehicles already in the roundabout have the right of way.
• Keep your speed low and do not stop inside the roundabout. If you miss your exit, go around again.
• Turn on your right turn signal as you approach your exit, and yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk as you leave.

The yield signs at the entrances carry the force of law. A driver facing a yield sign must slow to a speed reasonable for the conditions, stop if safety requires it, and yield to any vehicle in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard. If a driver passes a yield sign without stopping and then collides with a vehicle in the intersection, the crash itself is treated as evidence of a failure to yield. State law also requires a signal before turning or moving right or left on a roadway.

Pedestrians and bicyclists

Pedestrians should stay on the walkways and never cross to the central island. Transportation Cabinet guidance says to cross one lane at a time, using the splitter island that separates entering and exiting traffic as a refuge. A bicyclist may ride through the roundabout in the travel lane, following the same rules as a motorist, or may leave the road and use the crosswalks as a pedestrian. Drivers should not pass a bicycle inside a roundabout.

Large trucks

Roundabouts are designed for vehicles of all sizes, including tractor trailers and school buses. The raised, paved ring around the center island is a truck apron. It lets the trailing wheels of a large vehicle track over it in a tight turn. In a multi-lane roundabout, avoid traveling in the lane next to a large vehicle so that it has room for a wide turn.

Emergency vehicles

The usual rule applies. State law requires drivers to yield, pull to the edge of the road clear of any intersection, and stop until the emergency vehicle has passed. Transportation Cabinet guidance adds two points for roundabouts. Do not enter a roundabout when an emergency vehicle is approaching from another leg, and let vehicles already inside clear out ahead of it.